Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Black Storm: Public Notification - Undeclared Drug Ingredient

[Posted 11/24/2014]AUDIENCE: ConsumerISSUE:
FDA is advising consumers not to purchase or use Black Storm. FDA
laboratory analysis confirmed that Black Storm contains sildenafil, the
active ingredient in the FDA-approved prescription drug Viagra, used to
treat erectile dysfunction (ED). This undeclared ingredient may interact
with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin
and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Men with diabetes,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take
nitrates.BACKGROUND: Black Storm is a product promoted and sold for sexual enhancement on various websites and possibly in some retail stores.RECOMMENDATION: Do not purchase or use Black Storm.
Healthcare
professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or
side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch
Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

[Posted 11/25/2014]AUDIENCE: NeurologyISSUE:
FDA is warning that a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) who was
being treated with Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) developed a rare and
serious brain infection called progressive multifocal
leukoencephalopathy (PML), and later died. The patient who died was not
taking any other drugs that affect the immune system or drugs that are
thought to be associated with PML. As a result, information describing
this case of PML is being added to the Tecfidera drug label.
PML
is a rare and serious brain infection caused by the John Cunningham (JC)
virus. The JC virus is a common virus that is harmless in most people
but can cause PML in some patients who have weakened immune systems.
See the FDA Drug Safety Communication for additional clinical information about this case.

Tecfidera
is a drug used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a
brain and spinal cord disease in which patients experience multiple
episodes of weakness, numbness, and other nervous system signs and
symptoms that partially or completely resolve overs weeks or months.
Patients may develop persistent symptoms and disability over time.

Approximately
4,000 patients have taken Tecfidera in MS clinical trials, including
1,000 patients treated for at least 4 years. Biogen reports that more
than 100,000 patients with MS worldwide have taken Tecfidera since FDA
approved it in 2013.

Friday, November 21, 2014

FDA announced that it is seeking stop Scotty’s Incorporated, of
Detroit, Michigan, which does business as Bruce Enterprises and Bruce’s
Fresh Products, and Sandra J. Jackson, the firm’s co-owner and manager,
from preparing and distributing ready-to-eat sandwiches, due to unsanitary conditions and for failing to comply with the Seafood Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in a complaint filed by the
Department of Justice, is seeking to stop Scotty’s Incorporated, of
Detroit, Michigan, which does business as Bruce Enterprises and Bruce’s
Fresh Products, and Sandra J. Jackson, the firm’s co-owner and manager,
from preparing and distributing ready-to-eat sandwiches.
Scotty’s
has a history of manufacturing their ready-to-eat sandwiches under
unsanitary conditions and failing to comply with the Seafood Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations.
“Based on
the company’s previous failure to maintain sanitation controls, the FDA
is taking action to protect public safety,” said Melinda K. Plaisier,
the FDA’s associate commissioner of regulatory affairs.
The FDA
issued a Warning Letter to the company in 2009 for failing to have
adequate controls and processes in place to minimize the risk of
contamination and for failing to have a written HACCP plan for the tuna
salad sandwiches prepared at the business. The Warning Letter referenced
at least two inspections and cited observations of unsanitary practices
and conditions in the facility. In October 2010 and February 2014, FDA
investigators documented the company’s failure to manufacture, package
and store food under conditions and controls necessary to minimize the
potential for growth of microorganisms and contamination. In addition,
the defendants failed to make repairs and properly maintain equipment in
the facility to prevent food from becoming adulterated.
The
complaint for permanent injunction was filed by the U.S. Department of
Justice on behalf of the FDA on November 21, 2014, in the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
No illnesses have been
reported to date associated with products from Scotty’s Incorporated,
doing business as Bruce Enterprises and Bruce’s Fresh Products.
Consumers can report problems with FDA-regulated products to their district office consumer complaint coordinator.
The
FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and
security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological
products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is
responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply,
cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic
radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

This randomized trial, which was conducted by the NHLBI’s Pediatric
Heart Network, ran from 2007-2011 at 21 clinical centers in the United
States, Canada and Belgium and included 608 patients aged 6 months to 25
years. The two drugs work in different ways. Atenolol works by
relaxing blood vessels and slowing heart rate to improve blood flow and
decrease blood pressure. Losartan also known as Cozaar, blocks the action of certain natural
substances that tighten the blood vessels, allowing the blood to flow
more smoothly and the heart to pump more efficiently.
The results of the Atenolol versus Losartan in Children and Young
Adults with Marfan Syndrome study, supported by NIH’s National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), were presented today at the American
Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Chicago. The study was
published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

I am so glad I live in California and I only get snow when I really wants it of when I have to be in the east coast for family matters, during winter.
According to Dr. Ryan Maue, of WeatherBell, Yesterday was the coldest November morning since 1976: More than 85%of the surface of the contiguous United States reached or fell below freezing. And yes we get to hear about places like Buffalo in the news but it is much the same for most folks and will continue to be so for sometime. Dr. Maue forecasts record breaking low temperatures, in decades or centuries, in some cases. Be mindful and be safe.

Average 19.3F Click to enlarge.

"
Record lows from Idaho to Nebraska and Iowa south to Texas and east
through the Great Lakes, the eastern 2/3 of the US will shatter
decades-long and in some cases, century-long records. Temperatures east
of the Rockies will be 20-40°F below climate normals.

Brisk northwesterly winds in the Great Lakes will
cause heavy lake effect snow which will be measured in feet from
Michigan to New York state. Monday,
almost half of the Lower-48 was blanketed in snow. Please visit Mashable
and
Washington Post Capital Weather Gang for daily updates.

Cold air pushes east thru Wednesday with a reinforcing shot of Arctic
air with origin from the North Pole & Siberia to arrive on Thursday
in the Great Lakes.
Any relief is is 5-6 days away as Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit will
struggle to rise above freezing until Saturday. "

An Indian national who contacted and was cured of Ebola, has tested positive for the virus. He was in Liberia when he got infected. This makes the India's first known case of Ebola.

The patient was supposedly treated in Liberia and cured but was quarantined as a precaution when he arrived in New Delhi on Nov. 10. He has not displayed symptoms of Ebola, but his semen showed traces of the virus, said in a statement Tuesday.

"It is a known fact that, during convalescence from Ebola Virus Disease, persons continue to shed virus in bodily fluids for variable periods, However, presence of virus in his semen samples may have the possibility of transmitting the disease through sexual route up to 90 days from time of clinical cure.India's health ministry has said.Peter
Piot, a former WHO official who was one of the discoverers of the virus,
has in the past expressed concerns about the disease spreading to
India. There are nearly 45,000 Indian nationals living in West Africa. Densely populated India is not adequately prepared to handle any spread of the highly infectious hemorrhagic fever among its 1.2 billion people.Times of India

Sunday, November 16, 2014

The winter is coming and there could be interruptions to electricity due to storms and other emergencies, leading to seek other power solutions. Always use portable generators, camp stoves, and charcoal and gas grills outside to prevent deadly CO poisoning.

Never use a gas range or oven to heat a home.

Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage.

Never
run a motor vehicle, generator, pressure washer, or any
gasoline-powered engine outside an open window, door, or vent where
exhaust can vent into an enclosed area.

Never run a generator,
pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside a basement,
garage, or other enclosed structure, even if the doors or windows are
open, unless the equipment is professionally installed and vented. Keep
vents and flues free of debris, especially if winds are high. Flying
debris can block ventilation lines.

Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, lantern, or portable camping stove inside a home, tent, or camper.

If conditions are too hot or too cold, seek shelter with friends or at a community shelter.

If
CO poisoning is suspected, call your local Poison Control Center at
1-800-222-1222 or consult a health care professional right away.

Mali Added To EBOLA List, CDC Travel AdvisoryThe purpose of this alert is to notify travelers that a few
Ebola cases have been reported in Bamako, Mali, and to inform them of
actions they can take to reduce their risk of getting the disease.CDC recommends that travelers to Mali
protect themselves by avoiding contact with the blood and body fluids
of people who are sick, because of the possibility they may be sick with
Ebola. Although a cluster of cases has been reported only in Bamako,
travelers to all parts of Mali should be alert for reports of possible
further spread within the country.

As of November 12, 2014, the World Health Organization reported a
cluster of Ebola cases in Bamako, Mali (see box for case counts). (An
unrelated death from Ebola occurred in Kayes, Mali on October 24, 2014
and no additional cases related to that person have been reported.) The
cluster in Bamako is linked to a man who had been in a clinic in Bamako
after becoming sick in Guinea. Since that time, a small number of Ebola
cases linked to this patient have been reported in Bamako. The Malian
government has taken actions to contain further spread. CDC recommends
that travelers to Mali
protect themselves by avoiding contact with the blood and body fluids
of people who are sick and following the other recommendations listed
below.
The cases of Ebola in Bamako, Mali, are related to an ongoing Ebola outbreak that has been occurring since March 2014 in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and is the largest outbreak of Ebola in history.

I was searching for information on cold / flu season that is ahead of us. I did find some information but I got stuck at "Bad Medicine". It is hard even to think about this after reading an article on Newsweek. The following is an excerpt from the article and have left me totally confused. Follow the link after the jump for the complete article.
Millions have taken Tamiflu and still living but if Tamiflu does nothing, and there’s even a slight chance of
life-threatening side effects, why was it approved? And why continue to
prescribe it? That’s what the Cochrane Collaboration argued in a report it published in April.
Do you still want Tamiflu this cold / flu season. Looks like only Tamiflu, I would take is the fake Tamiflu that appeared in 2005, an export from China, at lease it had Vitamin C.

On the morning of March
2, 2005, a 14-year-old Japanese girl woke up scared. At first she
thought someone was outside the house watching her, but then she decided
the stranger must be inside. She wandered restlessly and, despite the
cold weather, threw open all the windows. Later, over a meal, she
declared, “The salad is poisoned.” Two days later, she said she wanted
to kill herself.

This teenager with no history
of mental illness was diagnosed with delirium. The night before the
hallucinations started, she began taking an anti-influenza drug called
Tamiflu (generic name: oseltamivir), which governments around the world
have spent billions stockpiling for the next major flu outbreak.

But evidence
released earlier this year by Cochrane Collaboration, a London-based
nonprofit, shows that a significant amount of negative data from the
drug’s clinical trials were hidden from the public. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) knew about it, but the medical community did not;
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which doesn’t
have the same access to unpublished data as regulators, had recommended
the drug without being able to see the full picture. When results from
those unpublished trials finally did emerge, they cast doubt over
whether Tamiflu is as effective as the manufacturer says.

..........

That Japanese girl, whose case was detailed in an FDA report, did not kill herself. But at least 70 people have died,
many of them by suicide, after Tamiflu-induced episodes. The deaths
were almost surreal: A 14-year-old who took Tamiflu jumped off a
balcony, and a 17-year-old on the drug ran in front of a truck.
Scientists documented other cases of “psychopathic events,” including a
South Korean girl who temporarily developed bipolar disorder and an
8-year-old Japanese boy who wouldn’t answer to his name and began to
growl.

Friday, November 14, 2014

The GMO labeling class action lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, alleges Whole Foods illegally sold misbranded products to
consumers in California and throughout the United States. Richard seeks
an injunction to prevent Whole Foods from continuing to market and sell
these allegedly misbranded products as well as an award of damages to
Class Members.
Richard asserts that Whole Foods has violated California’s Unfair
Business Practices Act, False Advertising Act and Consumers Legal
Remedies Act. The Whole Foods class action lawsuit also asserts claims
for negligent misrepresentation and breach of quasi-contract.
The crux of the suit is accusation of falsely marketing Blue Diamond brand almond milk products as “Non-GMO.”
This specific label refers to a certification provided by the Non-GMO
Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides “verifications” to
companies whose products comply with its private guidelines, the Non-GMO Project Standard. Is it valid?
Richard is represented by Brett Shainfeld and Jessica Anvar of
Shainfeld ; Anvar PC and Todd Friedman of the Law Offices of Todd M.
Friedman PC.
The Whole Foods GMO Labeling Class Action Lawsuit is Michelle Richard v. Whole Foods Market California Inc., Case No. BC563304, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.
It will be a very interesting and important case to watch.

FDA has approved Trumenba, a product of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the first vaccine to prevent Serogroup B Meningococcal deseace.

Meningococcal disease is a life-threatening illness caused by
bacteria that infect the bloodstream (sepsis) and the lining that
surrounds the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). N. meningitidis
is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis. The bacteria are
transmitted from person to person through respiratory or throat
secretions (e.g., by coughing, kissing, or sharing eating utensils).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 500
total cases of meningococcal disease were reported in the United States
in 2012; of those cases, 160 were caused by serogroup B.

“Recent
outbreaks of serogroup B Meningococcal disease on a few college campuses
have heightened concerns for this potentially deadly disease,” said
Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics
Evaluation and Research. “The FDA’s approval of Trumenba provides a safe
and effective way to help prevent this disease in the United States.”

Open enrollment 2015 starts on November 15 - and making sure you're ready starts at healthcare.gov.Visit the site and sign
up to receive reminders before important coverage deadlines, as well as
notifications when new prices and plans for 2015 are available.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes.

Seek medical care if you think you have frostbite.

Frostbite
is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a
loss of feeling and color in affected areas. It most often affects the
nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Frostbite can permanently
damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation. The risk of
frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and
among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold
temperatures.

Recognizing Frostbite

At the first signs of
redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold or protect any
exposed skin—frostbite may be beginning. Any of the following signs may
indicate frostbite:

a white or grayish-yellow skin area

skin that feels unusually firm or waxy

numbness

A victim is often unaware of frostbite until someone else points it out because the frozen tissues are numb.

What to Do

If
you detect symptoms of frostbite, seek medical care. Because frostbite
and hypothermia both result from exposure, first determine whether the
victim also shows signs of hypothermia, as described previously.
Hypothermia is a more serious medical condition and requires emergency
medical assistance.
If (1) there is frostbite but no sign of hypothermia and (2) immediate medical care is not available, proceed as follows:

Get into a warm room as soon as possible.

Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes—this increases the damage.

Immerse
the affected area in warm—not hot—water (the temperature should be
comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body).

Or, warm the affected area using body heat. For example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers.

Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. This can cause more damage.

Don’t
use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or
radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.

These
procedures are not substitutes for proper medical care. Hypothermia is a
medical emergency and frostbite should be evaluated by a health care
provider. It is a good idea to take a first aid and emergency
resuscitation (CPR) course to prepare for cold-weather health problems.
Knowing what to do is an important part of protecting your health and
the health of others.
Taking preventive action is your best
defense against having to deal with extreme cold-weather conditions. By
preparing your home and car in advance for winter emergencies, and by
observing safety precautions during times of extremely cold weather, you
can reduce the risk of weather-related health problems.CDC

Friday, November 07, 2014

$100 million spent by insurance companies against our two pro-consumer
initiatives, coupled with an historic low voter turnout, was a recipe
for consumers to lose Tuesday night.

The defeat of California Propositions 45 and 46 are a sobering reminder of the power of big corporate money in California politics when the electorate is not engaged. A mere 5 million Californians voted Tuesday, dwarfing even the worst voter turnout estimates. The insurance companies' barrage of negative advertising suppressed the vote and drove voters away from the polls.

The consumer rip-offs by health insurance companies targeted in Prop
45, and the threats to patients’ safety addressed by Prop 46, are
profound problems that will not go away.
We will not give up the fight until justice is done on both fronts.
The insurance companies may have the money, but we have the truth: More
must be done to rein in price gouging insurance companies and a
medical-insurance complex unaccountable to injured patients, including
those who suffer at the hands of impaired doctors.
The public wants protections against excessive rates, but insurance
companies spent $57 million on deceptive advertising that hid their role
in opposing Prop 45 and lied about its impact. Insurance price gouging
is going to intensify without Proposition 45’s protections.
Health insurance companies cannot hide from rate regulation in
California forever. We will continue to expose health insurance company
profiteering and make the case with the public and the legislature for
health insurance companies to be as accountable for the rates they
charge as business, home and auto insurance companies are.
The fight for greater patient safety will go on too in the court of
public opinion, the regulatory process, the legislature, the courts and,
if need be, the initiative process.
The families of innocent victims of negligence deserve access to
justice. All Californians deserve to know they are safe from drunk, high
and negligent physicians. We won’t rest until patients are protected.
Our efforts generated widespread acknowledgment of these problems that
have been ignored for the better part of four decades in California.
The fight for the patient and consumer protections embodied in Props 45 and 46 is just beginning. We will continue that battle.
Insurance companies will be accountable for their rip-offs and for
medical negligence. Consumers will have their day. Justice will be done.
Thanks for all you support. Stay tuned as we debrief and report back on our next steps.

Action Alert

The author of Proposition 46 has issued an statement. He is right and the fight does not stop here. Keep the effort going.Yeson46

November 5, 2014

DANVILLE, CA – Bob Pack, the author of Proposition 46 who lost his
two children Troy and Alana due to medical negligence, released the
following statement:
“This was a battle worth fighting. But the battle doesn’t stop here.
We’ve opened the eyes of all Californians about patient safety.
We opened eyes about prescription drug abuse, about doctors suffering
from substance abuse and about the injustice of medical malpractice.
Prop 46 would have helped tremendously. It would have saved lives.
But it faced deep-pocketed opposition from the insurance industry. At
least in this election, insurance industry profits trumped patient
safety.
Now, we have more work to do. We live in a nation where preventable
medical errors are the third leading cause of death – 440,000 each year.
That’s just plain wrong and needs to change.
Our coalition will continue to press for changes to end that cycle of
preventable death, to put a dent in prescription drug abuse, ensure our
doctors aren’t operating under the influence and give malpractice
victims a better shot at justice.
To the victims of medical negligence and their families, I am
grateful that our paths have crossed and I’m honored to have campaigned
alongside you: some of the bravest and most passionate people I have
ever met. I commend all of you for standing with me before California
voters to tell your stories. I know from personal experience that it can
be tough to share your story of loss with strangers day after day. For
us, this fight has been both emotional and personal.
You have debated, knocked on doors, shared your stories, spoken at
events, made phone calls, written emails, educated your networks on
social media, engaged your communities, and supported one another along
the way. All of your efforts have gotten us one step closer to improving
patient safety and one step closer to access to justice.
Our fight does not end here. Each and every one of you has acted
courageously to harness your strength and share your message with the
world. You have stood up against powerful industries and given them a
run for their money. I urge you to keep fighting, because so many
families have been denied justice.
Carmen and I will continue to work to make California’s patients
safer. We hope you will join us. Keep fighting for patient safety. Keep
fighting for justice. Take what we have built together and carry it
forward.
From our family to yours, we wish you all the best.
This battle is not over.”Download Press Release.

Monday, November 03, 2014

November 3, 2014Dr. Wilfred WeinsteinPhysician Had An Undetected Years-Long Prescription Drug HabitLOS ANGELES, CA: In April 2010, Dr. Weinstein was caught
shoplifting; when he was searched, police found that he was carrying 291
pills of Oxycodone. Dr. Weinstein was arrested for possession of a
controlled substance with intent to sell, a felony. He pled guilty.
Over a year later, in August 2011, the Medical Board began an
investigation into Dr. Weinstein’s felony conviction. In an interview,
Dr. Weinstein admitted that he had an undetected daily drug habit since
2006: he would begin taking oxycodone as early as 6:30 in the morning
before heading into work, and he would often take more pills over his
lunch break. Dr. Weinstein told the investigator that he had been taking
between six to eight oxycodone a day, including workdays. In order to
get access to the drugs, he would write prescriptions in his wife’s name
and then fill the prescriptions for himself.
Three years after his initial arrest, the Medical Board finally
imposed disciplinary action, placing Dr. Weinstein on probation. Six
months into his probation, Dr. Weinstein decided that he didn’t want to
practice medicine anymore and surrendered his medical license.
Sources: http://www2.mbc.ca.gov/BreezePDL/default.aspx?licenseType=A&licenseNumber=31553
Proposition 46, the Troy and Alana Pack Patient Safety Act, will
enact the first law in the nation to require random drug and alcohol
tests of physicians in hospitals, modeled after the Federal Aviation
Administration testing program that has successfully reduced substance
abuse by pilots. Doctors found to be impaired on the job will have their
license suspended. If Prop 46 had been in effect, Dr. Weinstein’s drug
addiction may have been detected, possibly preventing threats to patient
safety in the process.
Prop 46 would also require prescribers to check California’s existing
and secure prescription drug database, known as CURES, when prescribing
Schedule II-III narcotics. If this provision had been in effect, it’s
possible that Dr. Weinstein’s illegal prescribing may have been
discovered.Hall of Shame: Insurance Companies Backing No on 46

NorCal Mutual Insurance Company

$11,000,000.00

The Doctors Company

$10,500,000.00

Cooperative of American Physicians

$10,161,489.04

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan

$5,000,000.00

Medical Insurance Exchange of California

$5,000,000.00

The Dentists Insurance Company

$1,620,000.00

The Mutual Risk Retention Group

$1,000,000.00

All Insurers:

$44,613,583.22

Total:

$59,169,984.79

Insurance companies have spent nearly $45 million dollars to oppose
Prop 46 in order to shield dangerous doctors like Dr. Weinstein from
punishment, at the expense of patient safety, in order to protect their
already substantial profits. In total, the opposition to Prop 46 has
over $59 million dollars in their warchest, outspending consumer and
patient safety advocates more than 8:1.

Terminally Ill Brittany Maynard Has Ended Her Own Life.
Depending on how you view the issue, Oregon's Death with Dignity Act – has helped Brittany, a 29 year old woman, end her life by taking a fatal dose of barbiturates, prescribed to her by a doctor, when her suffering became too great.
She was diagnosed with a likely stage 4 glioblastoma and surgery to remove it did not help as it came back even larger. She moved to Oregon, from California, to seek the help of Death with Dignity Act, with her family. It is not an easy decision to make and she wanted to live but the stakes of suffering was high and she chose what is best for her.
"For people to argue against this choice for sick people really seems
evil to me,They try to mix it up with suicide and
that's really unfair, because there's not a single part of me that wants
to die. But I am dying." she told PEOPLE.
"My glioblastoma is going to kill me and that's out of my control, I've discussed with many experts how I would
die from it and it's a terrible, terrible way to die. So being able to
choose to go with dignity is less terrifying."
She launched a video campaign with Compassion & Choices, an end-of-life choice advocacy organization, to support and expand death with dignity laws nationwide.
Brittany graduated from UC Berkeley as an undergrad, and received a
Masters in Education from UC Irvine. She believed in compassion, equity,
and that people would remember most how you made them feel in life. As
Faulkner said, "Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and
truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If more
people all over the world would do this, the world would change."
Good Bye Brittany

United States Senator Barbara Boxer speaks supporting Proposition 46 in a
new advertisement featuring the photos of children lost to preventable
medical errors. Another bunch of reasons to support #Yeson46.

Sunday, November 02, 2014

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Families of victims of
medical negligence gathered Monday to urge voters to support a political
effort for greater patient safety protections.
Carmen Pack – a mom who says her two children were killed due to
medical negligence – and Annette Ramirez, a South Bay mother who lost
her arms and legs due to infection after surgery, both say passing
Proposition 46 will prevent other families from suffering similar
tragedies.
Supporters say Proposition 46
creates greater accountability for medical negligence by indexing a
38-year-old cap on damages for inflation and detecting and deterring
physicians’ over-prescribing and substance abuse.
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer was among several officials on hand to endorse the Yes on 46 campaign, which released its first Spanish language television ad featuring Pack whose husband Bob is the author of Prop. 46.
The Pack’s children, Troy, 10, and Alana, 7, were killed by
intoxicated driver who had been recklessly prescribed narcotics by
multiple doctors at the same Kaiser hospital.
According to the Packs, they were unable to hold doctors legally
accountable because of the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act.
Passed in 1975, MICRA places a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages in
medical malpractice cases.
“If your loved one is killed by medical negligence, no matter how
serious or egregious and it’s a child who dies, there’s no wage loss or
medical bills, you won’t get an attorney,” said Jamie Court of Consumer
Watchdog.
Court says the initiative would raise the existing cap on damages to
$1.1 million, giving children and seniors who cannot demonstrate lost
wages as a result of their injuries a chance to hold doctors and
hospitals accountable for their mistakes.Video